West Virginia Executive Summer 2014 - Page 105

early operations for PracticeLink.com
was a compelling economic decision as
much as it was a sentimental one. In my
mind, West Virginia was a better place
to take a risk.”
PracticeLink established its call center
in Hinton in 1999, which primarily interviewed and supported physicians seeking
their next career move. The initial employees were all from West Virginia, and
they helped grow the business quickly to
establish itself as a leader in the industry.
After overcoming several typical startup
difficulties, including bankruptcy early
on, the firm now has more than 40 employees in West Virginia, Louisville and
St. Louis, the majority of which are in
Hinton. Today, more than 5,000 of the
nation’s health care facilities use PracticeLink for physician recruiting, and its
self-titled PracticeLink Magazine won the
American Society of Healthcare Publication
Editors top award, Publication of the Year.
A Community Ready for
Innovative Growth
As the company grew, it wasn’t long
before Hinton’s low-cost, small town environment, which was such an advantage
in PracticeLink’s early days, began to offer
its own challenges. Like many small towns,
some of the amenities required to attract
and retain quality employees were lacking.
“We literally didn’t have adequate
lodging for business guests or vendors
to stay when they came to visit us,” says
Tom Acosta paints a mural
in downtown Hinton.
Hinton’s restored, circa
1929 Ritz Theatre
Cinema & Performing
Arts shows movies and
serves as a meeting
space for businesses.
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